Archived press release

Gm separation distances must be at least 5km

30 January 2002

FOE CHALLENGES GOVERNMENT OVER GM CROP TRIALS

Friends of the Earth has welcomed Environment Minister Michael Meacher's promise today [1] that the Government will take public concern into account before making any decision on whether to allow the commercial development of GM crops.

Later this week the Government will announce the next round of farm scale evaluations (FSEs) of GM crops. FOE is challenging the Government to increase the separation distance around the GM oilseed rape crop trials to 5km to safeguard neighbouring crops from unacceptable levels of GM contamination. The current separation distance between GM oilseed rape and conventional varieties is 50 metres [2].

Last September the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission published a report [3] which was critical of the FSEs. One of its recommendations was that “the programme of FSEs should be completed subject to... the Government working with SCIMAC and representatives of the organic farming industry to set adequate separation distances for the remaining trials to ensure that the interests of all parties are accommodated.” Earlier this month Environment Minister, Margaret Beckett,responded that “the separation distances for the FSEs have been set to ensure that cross-pollination is a maximum of 1%. However... there is a case for separation distances to be greater so as to ensure a maximum of, for example, 0.1% cross-pollination”. To achieve this FOE estimates that separation distances should be at least 5 km. Last year the EC said that a 5km separation distance would be needed to ensure that oilseed rape seed production achieved a contamination threshold of 0.3%.

Adrian Bebb, GM Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

“GM crops should not be grown in the UK against the wishes of the public. We are delighted that the Government now appears to accept this principle, and that there will be a public debate on this issue.

The Government now admits that the separation distances around the GM crop trials are not large enough to protect neighbouring crops and honey from significant levels of GM contamination. When the new GM oilseed rape trials are announced later this week the separation distance must be at least 5km. Anything less will be totally inadequate.”

[1] Today programme 30/1/02

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